Mazar i Sharif
alternative words: Mazar e Sharif, Mazar
keywords: town
related topics: Abdul Rashid Dostam , Afghanistan , Balkh
related web sites: http://www.geocities.com/afghanistan_ca/Mazar.html
explanation: Capital of Balkh province in northern Afghanistan and its second largest city. A legend says that the caliph Ali, the son in law of Muhammad would be earthed at the place where blue mosque was built. The climate is semi-arid. Mazar was a prosperous city during the reign of Dostam but when the town fell to Taliban in 1998, several thousands civilians, especially Iranian speaking Hazaras would be massacred in revenge of Taliban massacred in 1997. The population is 130,000.
Muhammad Daoud
alternative words: Muhammad Daud, Daoud, Daud, Mohammad Daoud, Sardar Mohammad Daoud Khan
keywords: famous person, statesman
related topics: Saur revolution , King Zahir
related web sites: http://www.afghan-web.com/bios/yest/daoud.html
explanation: Born in 1909 in a royal family of Kabul. He served King Zahir as interior minister then as prim minister from 1953 to 1963 to pursuit a modernization of Afganistan such as suppression of women's veil but irritated Pakistan on border issue. In 1973, he staged a putsch and deposed his cousin Zahir shah from the throne. As president of republic, he introduced many communists into his cabinet but he and members of his family were assassinated by Saur uprising led by pro communist militaries in 1978.
Muhammad Omar
alternative words: Mullah Muhammad Omar, Mawlawi Mohammed Omar, Mohammad Omar, Mullah Mohammad Omar, Mullah Omar
keywords: famous person, statesman
related topics: Taliban , Kandahar
related web sites: http://www.afghan-web.com/bios/today/momar.html , http://www.afghan-info.com/Politics/Analysis/Mullah_Omar_Profile.htm , http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1550000/1550419.stm
explanation: Born in 1962 in Uruzgan province of central Afghanistan. After having studied in different Islamic schools, he took arm to fight against Soviet troops as deputy of Mohammad Nabi Mohammadi but he got real prominence when he drove out local Mujahideen from Kandahar with only 30 students in 1994. Since then he has successfully conquered more than 90% of Afghan territory in few years. He is a mysterious person and avoids a public appearance. He is de facto the head of state of Afghanistan.
Muhammad Taraki
alternative words: Taraki, Nur Muhammad Taraki, Noor Mohammad Taraki
keywords: communism, famous person, statesman
related topics: Babrak Karmal , Hafizollah Amin , PDPA , Saur revolution
related web sites: http://www.afghan-info.com/politbiogr.htm , http://www.afghan-web.com/bios/yest/taraki.html
explanation: Born in 1917 in Ghazni province of eastern Afghanistan. Thanks to his good English knowledge, he worked as clerk in different ministries and correspondent in foreign newspapers. As founder member of PDPA, he was elected secretary general in 1965 and began to publish a party organ, Khalq. After Saur revolt of 1978, he became the president of revolutionary council and purged Parcham faction led by Karmal. He was secretly executed in 1979 by Amin after having lost a power struggle.
Mujahideen
alternative words: Mujahiddin, Mujaheddin, Mujahidin, Mojahideen, Mujahedeen, Mujahidkeywords: islam, organization
related topics: Soviet invasion , Taliban , Burhanuddin Rabbani , Ahmad Shah Masoud , Gulbuddin Hekmatyar , Abdul Rashid Dostam
explanation: Mujahideen means "warriors" in Arabic language, especially those who fought in Afghanistan during Soviet occupation between 1979 and 1989. USA gave weapons and instructors, Pakistan, manpower and bases, and Saudi Arabia, money. Once Russians retired, a factional war (Rabbani-Massoud group against Hekmatyar-Dostam group) broke out and Afghanistan plunged into a civil war. Many Mujahideen then became warlords or bandits until an unification of Afghanistan by Taliban.
Najibullah Ahmadzai
alternative words: Najibullah, Dr Najibullah
keywords: communism, famous person, statesman
related topics: Kabul , Hafizollah Amin , Saur revolution
related web sites: http://www.afghan-info.com/politbiogr.htm , http://www.sabawoon.com/afghanpedia/Personailities.NajibullahMohammad.shtm
explanation: Born in 1947 in a merchant family of Kabul. Active communist student, he was graduated at a medical college. After Saur revolt of 1978, which brought communists into power, he was appointed ambassador in Iran. After an assassination of president Hafizullah Amin in 1979, he became the head of KHAD (Afghan secret service) then the president of Afghanistan in 1986. He took the refuge in UN compound of Kabul when Mujahideen arrived in 1992. He was executed by Taliban in 1996.
Osama bin Laden
alternative words: Osama ben Laden, Usama bin Laden, Ossama bin Laden, Ussama bin Laden, bin Laden, ben Laden
keywords: famous person, islam, terrorism
related topics: Al Qaeda , Soviet invasion
related web sites: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/binladen/who/bio.html , http://www.msnbc.com/news/564810.asp?0sp=n8b4b4
explanation: Born in Saudi Arabia in 1957 from Yemenite father and Syrian mother. He lost his father at the age 13, who left him a huge fortune. He was graduated at Jeddah university in 1981. During the Soviet occupation, he frequently visited Pakistan to meet Mujahideen leaders then personally engaged in battles. After Soviet withdrawal in 1989, he returned back to Saudi Arabia. During Gulf war, he was asked to keep a low profile. After a sojourn in Sudan between 1991 and 1996, he has been back again in Afghanistan.
